Lamar University is one of only four Texas universities being recognized for improvements in its four-year graduation rate.

Since 2016, LU’s graduation rate has increased from 10 to 16 percent, a gain that distinguishes the university and is being acknowledged by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, an organization that provides leadership and coordination for Texas higher education and works to position Texas as an international leader.

The three other universities in the state of Texas being recognized are - University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Angelo State University.

As a result of increasing the number of successful graduates, Executive Director, Retention & Student Success Craig Escamilla is presenting on the topic of “improvement strategies” at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board annual accountability peer group meeting April 4-5.

“Lamar University is committed to the success of each individual student,” said Escamilla. “As we develop and implement new processes to serve one student at a time, this recognition from the Coordinating Board is a very exciting acknowledgement of our movement in a positive direction for our students.”

Escamilla will deliver a brief presentation at the meeting in Austin sharing a number of LU’s emerging strategies to support increased student success. These strategies include increasingly personalized academic support services through the Undergraduate Advising Center and STAR Services, an academic success coach program with the five academic colleges, improved communication and coordination of academic progress reporting, predictive analytics software, and data-driven decision making.

The Retention and Student Success Office, within the Division of Enrollment Management, is working closely across the University to build student success programs and support strategies to ensure that every student has an opportunity to become a successful Lamar University graduate.